


Rabbit

by celestial_seraphim



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, M/M, like...vigilante au i suppose, neil's sorta like a phantom thief lol, yeah most of the characters are gonna be in here so i'll just add as i go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:13:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_seraphim/pseuds/celestial_seraphim
Summary: Rabbit was a thief in the shadows. If you were lucky enough to cross paths with them, you would be met with haunting neon eyes staring right back into your soul, and they'd be gone a moment later. The rich and corrupt of the city feared them.Neil wasn't sure why he had chosen the life of a vigilante by night. Maybe it was his own sense of justice and something he had never gotten himself. Maybe he felt like somebody had to stand up to for the weak and brave the wolves: a rabbit that fought back. Trying to forge a life for himself as Neil Abram Josten in a big city had become easier over the years, but will he be able to outrun his past, or will it all come crashing down on him?
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	Rabbit

**Author's Note:**

> I'm excited to be starting this au ^^ Thanks to my friend Squish for all our discussions on it

Most of his jobs were easy, oh so easy. Neil remembered a time before he was infamous: a time where he was breaking into mansions and pent houses in nothing but jeans and a baggy hoodie. At first, it had been mere survival. The rich were easy enough to steal from. As long as they weren’t too guarded, it was easy to find a break in point. Most were sound sleepers. They hardly noticed they had been robbed until they couldn’t find the specific item they held most dear. It was risky, but Neil had even taken to leaving calling cards. It was a form of merit, he supposed. Many great thieves of old used them, a warning that said their riches were all for the taking. 

It was always scumbags and the rich that hoarded their money to themselves. That was the goal after all once he got good at it: to make himself into a Robin Hood like figure. He’d only keep the money he needed to survive and always donated the rest under an anonymous name. He was like a shadow in the night and made himself into a myth of his own. Many of the elites whispered about the supposed thief and their calling cards, only taking the most precious of items and always only one. 

As Neil gained skills and money, he upgraded his thieving outfit as well as a few gadgets that could be useful, even armor plating for his arms in case of a long fall or gunfire. Nowadays, he donned a smiling rabbit esque helmet to add to this character of his. He had crawled his way up from the gutter, now residing in a quaint studio apartment with about five or so cats to keep him company. A smirk crossed his face as he was scrolling through the news on his phone.   
“The Rabbit Strikes Again: Another Elite Targeted” 

“Yet another win,” he said to one of his cats who was sitting on his desk, purring at the attention. It was fun and thrilling, really, but even Neil knew he had to keep up his real identity. He needed a job much to his dismay. The money from these jobs was spotty and unreliable, and he needed something that was legit to keep the heat off of him. 

His finger on the mouse paused when he noticed a posting for the city’s police department: a front desk clerk. It was a simple enough job, and a way to hide in plain sight. He could get all kinds of intel working at the police station. He gulped at thinking of ways it could all go wrong, though. What if they caught on? They’d know how to find him. Shaking those thoughts away, he went ahead and applied. Especially in his line of work, it paid off to take risks. If something went wrong, he’d deal with it himself like he always had. 

As luck would have it, he had gotten an e-mail first thing the next day from their chief of police: David Wymack. The fact that he already had an interview scheduled meant they were desperate to fill that position: easy. 

As he got ready for the day, Neil looked himself over in the mirror. It was a habit of his to trace over all his old scars: reminders of a life on the run. He had given up a lot for a brand new identity: a permanent brand new identity. When she was sure he could handle himself on his own, his mom had fled back to her family in Europe. That was probably for the best anyway. Even being harder to find as Neil Josten and living in a large city, Neil still switched up colored contacts every now and then and still used concealer on his freckles. Lastly, he ran his fingers through his red hair, styling it to look neat and somewhat professional. If his mom knew what he did during the night, she’d definitely kill him. It’d probably be something along the lines of: your father and his people are still out there just waiting to find you again, Abram. 

Neil rolled his eyes as he buttoned up his shirt. Yeah, a scolding was probably coming, but even she didn’t have to know about his..secret job, but still, she was ever so perceptive. It wouldn’t take her long to put two and two together with the thief all over the news. He was pretty certain he even saw a fansite for him on the Internet. 

Outside, the city was as bustling as ever. Neil wasn’t in...the best part of town, but it made the rent cheap and hiding easy. Taking the bus, it took a little while to get to the police station, but he managed to make it in just in time. On the inside, it was dusty and..kind of old looking, but it was about what he expected. Still in need of a front desk clerk, it was empty of anyone to help him, forcing Neil to ring the small bell on there multiple times. 

At about the tenth time, a man came running out from the back, dark, wavy hair all askew as he took a moment to catch his breath. Dark eyes met Neil’s blues, curiously looking him over. It felt more like he was being checked out, but Neil paid it no mind as he offered him his best smile. 

“Hello, I’m here for an interview..for the clerk position. Neil Josten,” he said sweetly and offered him his hand. 

“Oh, yes! Wymack was talking about you. I’m Nicky Hemmick. I deal with records and the like.”   
He was delighted as he enthusiastically shook Neil’s hand, enough to jostle him a bit. “Right this way, Neil. We haven’t had a lot of luck due to our..unique staff, but I have a good feeling about you. Bonus points for being cute. It’ll be good to have someone so sweet and with such a cute face at the front desk.” 

Neil smiled politely, following after Nicky past the main doors. The room beyond was various desks and offices. By the looks of it there weren’t that many people that worked here. He wondered if they kept this place understaffed on purpose. Though, it did make sense. The district of the city this one was in charge of was a smaller one. 

“You lucked out for now. The two investigators who argue the most are out right now. That thief struck again apparently, and they’ve been busy,” Nicky said to fill the silence. Neil could already tell this one was good at talking even if it was about nothing in particular. 

He led Neil upstairs to one of the bigger offices. He gave him a look as he didn’t even bother to knock, simply opening the door suddenly. 

“Yeah, after work. We can..” The person he presumed to be David Wymack glared at the two of them before continuing. “Talk to you later, Abby.” His tone changed drastically as soon as he hung up. “Hemmick! What did I tell you about knocking first, dammit!” 

As his gaze drifted to Neil, he quieted down a bit. 

“Aw, Wymack. We all know about your thing with Abby anyways. It’s no secret!” Nicky dismissed and gently pushed Neil forward. “Besides, I have Neil Josten here, and I’m hoping he’s going to be our new front desk clerk. We desperately need one after all. I can’t keep running up to the front every time someone comes in. Running and me don’t get along.” 

“Yeah, yeah, thanks. Get back to work.” 

Nicky saluted him before sauntering back to the door. The door closing behind him didn’t help Neil’s nerves. Still, if there was anything he was good at doing, it was pretending. Putting on a smile again, he walked up to Wymack’s desk when he gestured him over, taking a seat. Even the seats were old as the leather let out a creak when Neil sank down into it. It was quiet for a moment as Wymack rustled through some papers and finally found Neil’s app. 

“Ah, here we go: Neil Josten. Looks like your job history has been..rather spotty,” he noted as he looked it over. He kept going just as Neil was about to answer. “But I don’t give much of a crap about that anyway. As long as you can do the job, that’s all that matters to me. Any problems dealing with the general public as well as officers and investigators here?” 

“Of course, dealing with people isn’t a problem for me,” Neil answered as professionally as he could. He had dealt with hit men, gangsters, creeps, and his father’s people. He was pretty sure he could handle the general public. Wymack’s own resting bitch face didn’t seem to change much at the answer, simply nodding. 

“Good. You start tomorrow, then. I’ll have Hemmick show you around the place and get you a locker. Sound good?” Wymack asked like it was a regular old question. The sound of his pen clicking filled brief moment of silence. 

Neil was flabbergasted, just staring at him a moment as he processed the words. Wait..he wasn’t serious, was he? It couldn’t be that easy. Interviews usually consisted of more than just one question. Wymack snapping his fingers finally brought him back.   
“Look, I believe that I’ll see more of what you’re capable of while you’re on the job, so do you accept or not? I need an answer preferably within the next few seconds.” 

“Uh, y-yeah, that sounds good to me, sir,” Neil said with a nod. He could feel a headache coming on from the buzz of the fluorescent lights alone. 

“Good. HEMMICK!” His booming voice nearly sent Neil out of his chair, shaking a bit as Nicky came back a few seconds later. 

“You called, chief? You know, there is an intercom system.” Neil glanced back when Nicky placed his hands on his shoulders. “If Wymack’s calling me, that must mean good news, right, right?” 

“Give Josten here a tour of the place and get him familiar with the front desk.We’ll start training him tomorrow. You’re free to go after that,” Wymack said with a dismissive wave as he went back to his paper work. 

Neil managed a nod as he followed Nicky out who was incredibly excited for some reason. Neil was good at playing the sweet, nice boy. He was a regular professional at it by now. Everyone cooed at how cute he was that he could easily be looked over. It always played in his favor. 

“I knew you were going to get it. You definitely have the right look for it,” Nicky commented as he began showing him around the offices. Unlike himself, he could tell Nicky’s kindness was genuine with the way he carried himself. It was admirable in a world like this.   
“So, these are the desks and such for the officers, investigators, etc. Our district in this city is pretty small, so our staff isn’t very big, though we have a decent amount of officers. I believe Officer Reynolds, aka Allison has some front desk experience. She’ll probably be best to train you on like how to transfer calls and that kind of stuff. It’s probably not that hard, really. You’ll get incoming calls from officers out on duty, and you’ll have to transfer them to the right department, etc.” 

Nicky was also a talker. He could go for hours on end about just one subject. Neil didn’t mind it too much. It passed the time at least. The tour should’ve only been about an hour if that, but with Nicky giving it, he commented on each and every thing, and it was going on two hours before they were back at the front desk.   
“This’ll be your main station. You saw where the break room is, so that’s taken care of. It’s too bad most everyone is out and about right now, but you can meet the rest of the team later.” 

Once they were back, Neil was sure to note each and every entrance and exit: a habit of his. After all, on his “night job” it was essential. His blue gaze met hard hazel as he noticed someone’s unwavering stare. The blonde looked only a bit shorter than Neil with an intense gaze that had Neil feeling a bit numb at his core. 

“Oh, Andrew! You’re back!” Nicky called with a wave. “Apologies if he’s rude. Don’t take it personally,” he whispered to Neil as the blonde started stalking over to them.   
From the fresh smell of smoke, Neil figured he had been outside smoking. He raked his gaze over Neil like someone would a piece of meat at a butcher’s shop, but Neil continued to meet his eyes with not much of a flinch.   
“Um, Andrew’s an investigator. This is actually part of his parole program, but I think he genuinely enjoys it!” 

“Nicky,” Andrew said flatly with a hard stare his way. “Must you tell this shifty character everything?” 

“Shifty? Neil’s been nothing but nice! He seems like a good guy, and he’s our new clerk,” Nicky gasped as if he had taken an arrow to the chest. 

So, he was an ex-con. Neil had heard the word “parole” loud and clear, and he was currently processing whether this Andrew was going to be a problem. The answer was already an obvious “yes” judging by how he was right now. 

“I know acting when I see it, even if it’s a damn good act.” Andrew took a step closer to properly look Neil over, a smirk pulling at his lips. “You look like you’re about to bolt, rabbit. What you so scared of, huh?” 

“I’m not running from anything. I mean, I’m starting a new job. Of course I’m gonna be nervous,” Neil replied with a saccharine smile, but that only made Andrew look even more amused. He actually let out a laugh that made Neil grimace. 

“Oh ho ho, going with the sweet act? Makes me want to pick away at the mask you’re wearing, Neil. Even your name sounds a little too perfect.” Andrew was about to step closer, but the front door slamming open made him turn with a sigh. 

“How the fuck do you genuinely enjoy your coffee black, Day?” A voice seemed to fill the whole room as two tall men dressed in button ups and ties strolled in, but by the looks on their faces, they weren’t enjoying each others’ company very much. 

Neil recognized one of them right away. The dark hair and green eyes were unmistakable. Kevin Day had been something of a celebrity when he was involved with the Moriyamas: namely, Riko Moriyama, but the falling out they had had permanently separated them, or at least that’s what everyone had said. It only made Neil gulp as he swallowed down a bout of anxiety. Moving to a big city like this was for few people to recognize him, not that he had been much of somebody before, but him and Kevin had interacted a bit as kids due to his father’s involvement with the Moriyamas. If Kevin recognized him, it was another nail in his coffin. Clenching his fist, Neil only showed a few signs of apprehension as the investigators drew closer. He had to hold onto to hope. With Andrew right by him, he wouldn’t have much of a chance to run if he could. 

“Maybe it’s because I’m more of a man than you, Gordon. Did you ever think about that?” Kevin bit back with a sneer as the other looked like he was about to deck him. 

“Boys, boys! Where are your manners? We have the newbie here!” Nicky spoke up, immediately getting between them. “Besides, you should only argue when I’m right here. This is Seth and Kevin by the way, and that’s Neil.” 

Seth made a face as he spaced himself out from Nicky and Kevin and went to give Neil a once over instead.   
“Hey,” he managed to say to Neil and went right back to glaring at Kevin who didn’t seem to mind Nicky’s closeness. 

“Oh, hello. Uh, good to have you on the team,” Kevin said. There didn’t seem to be an recognition in his eyes when he saw Neil. Neil let out a quiet sigh of relief. Good. This cover would work. 

“God, I’m going to my desk before you guys start like making out or whatever. Coffee with creamer is the best by the way,” Seth fumed and promptly stomped off as Kevin flipped him off. 

“You should be nicer to your partner,” Nicky said, patting Kevin’s shoulder with a sigh. He seemed a bit sad with his look more of a pleading one at Kevin who simply scoffed. 

“I would be if he was nice back, the asshole. Can’t believe we got paired up as partners.” Neil nearly jumped when Kevin looked at him again. “It’ll be good to have a clerk for once. Hopefully you’re not a wimp and flake like the others.”   
With a flippant wave, Kevin begrudgingly followed after Seth, muttering something under his breath. 

Neil waited until his shadow had completely disappeared from view before attempting to move, though something solid stopped him as Andrew pressed a hand to his shoulder. He could feel the strength behind that hand even if it was just a gentle push.   
“Why so nervous, Neil? You really looked like you were about to run there,” Andrew sneered and made Neil look at him by gripping onto his chin. 

“Let go of me,” Neil said evenly with ease of practice, trying to read Andrew’s body language, but it was difficult to tell when he was actually going to move and stay still: that would be a problem. 

“Or you’ll what? Beat me up? You don’t seem like the type, little bunny.” 

“Andrew-” 

He promptly cut Nicky off with a wagging finger.   
“I won’t scare him off. Promise~ I just wanna know why he looked like he was about to disappear when our dear Kevin showed up.” 

“The sudden yelling just scared me. That’s all.” Neil grimaced ever so slightly when Andrew’s nail started digging into his skin whenever he tried to move. 

“Likely. Feel like telling the truth now, dear Neil? I can tell you have the heart of a runaway. Is that all you know how to do?” 

“I-” 

All of them turned their heads when a news story started playing on the small TV. Neil had to try his best not to make any sort of expression when he saw the headline. “The Rabbit Strikes Again.” 

“Yet another bureaucrat has been robbed by the infamous thief known only by ‘Rabbit.’ Their calling card was found at the scene: a blank playing card with the silhouette of a rabbit’s head with piercing neon eyes. This is only one in a number of crime sprees. However, this thief has also shed light on the corruption of their targets which have made many hail them as a modern day Robin Hood or vigilante of sorts. Contrary to this, many business owners and CEO’s are calling for justice, fearing that their most precious belongings and information will be stolen and sold off. It’s anyone’s’ guess who Rabbit’s next target will be. Security footage of the thief is few and far between, but the bit of it that some have reveal a shadowy figure donning what looks to be some sort of motorcycle helmet with rabbit ears and some kind of LED eyes that glare right back up at the camera. Will anyone be able to catch and unmask this mysterious figure, or will they continue to rob and expose? You can be sure we will try our best to get the latest information on this supposed vigilante.” During the commentary, multiple pics of blurry security cam footage were brought up. 

Even if his body wanted to react, Neil remained stoic, seemingly unphased by the load of information. On the inside, he had to appreciate the image he had worked so hard to maintain. Good. He wanted mystery and fear. After all, something without a discernible face that snuck around in the night was frightening. He may be a “Rabbit,” but he was one that bit back. 

A slight groan left him as Andrew’s grip tightened enough to leave a light bruise.   
“You were enjoying that, weren’t you? Maybe you were...admiring your own handiwork?” 

Neil couldn’t help but chuckle at Andrew’s hypothesis, finally managing to pull away from his grip.   
“Me? Rabbit? Ha, I wish I could be that cool. No, I’m just regular Neil,” he said, sweet smile returning. 

Andrew clicked his tongue but made no move to grab him again, letting out a rather long sigh. It seemed like defeat, but Neil knew better than to trust that.   
“We’ll see. I’m onto you, Neil.” 

Once he had walked off, Nicky apologized to him about a dozen times which Neil shrugged off. He had dealt with too many crazy types to be intimidated by the likes of Andrew.   
“No worries. I..guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” 

Once he was out of the building and into open air again, Neil felt a weight off his shoulders. Good, that was out the way. On his way back home, he already had about a million different plans on his mind, thinking about where he could use the shadows to slink into next. 


End file.
